The Los Angeles Chargers signed WR Liam Clifford and waived WR Luke Grimm with an injury designation, a late-summer roster move that changes little on paper but puts a new name into the mix. Clifford arrives as a 6-foot, 200-pound undrafted free agent out of Penn State.
That is enough to make the move searchable now, because roster spots are closing fast and most signings at this point in the offseason never amount to much. Clifford spent part of training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, so this is not a blind pickup, but it is still the kind of transaction that usually serves more as a test than a promise.
Clifford’s college résumé gives the Chargers a usable frame for who they added. He caught 42 passes for 530 yards over four seasons at Penn State, and his best year came in 2024, when he finished with 18 receptions for 286 yards and a touchdown. He also drew offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky and Penn State coming out of high school, and Michigan offered him in 2021 when Jim Harbaugh was still the head coach.
That Harbaugh link is the only part of the signing that carries much intrigue, because it explains why Clifford is at least familiar to the Chargers’ decision-makers. Even so, the path from camp body to a meaningful roster role is narrow. An undrafted receiver can stick if he flashes on special teams or forces his way onto the practice squad, but the timing of this move suggests Clifford is more likely being given a brief look than handed a real lane to the 53-man roster.
The Chargers now have to sort out whether Clifford is just a temporary addition while Luke Grimm recovers or a player they want to keep around for longer. For Clifford, the next step is simple and unforgiving: make enough noise quickly enough to justify staying in a room where every rep matters.
